Super Star Recipes

When the weather gets hot, there's nothing more enjoyable than cooking up a feast for your family and friends. So come here when you're looking to create meals that sizzle-whether you're whipping up a summertime soiree for 4 or a 4th of July extravaganza for 40!

STEVEN RAICHLEN

Steven Raichlen, aka "The Professor of Barbecue," is an award-winning author, journalist, cooking teacher and TV host. His best-selling Barbecue Bible cookbook series and "Barbecue University" TV show on PBS have virtually reinvented American barbecue. Get ready to wow guests with these fabulous recipes from his books that are just bursting with flavor!

To see more mouthwatering recipes, purchase any of Steven's books at www.barbecuebible.com -- and be sure to check out our terrific collection of products today!

ALL-PURPOSE BARBECUE RUB
Variations on this rub have appeared in each of my barbecue books. There are four basic ingredients--salt, black pepper, paprika, and brown sugar--and by varying the proportions you can create an almost endless variety of flavors. For a spicier rub use hot paprika instead of sweet paprika. You could also substitute granulated sugar, light brown sugar, or Sucanat (powdered evaporated sugarcane juice) for the dark brown sugar. There isn't a fish that swims, a bird that flies, or a beast that walks that wouldn't benefit from a generous sprinkling of this multipurpose rub.

Makes about 3/4 cup

1/4 cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the salt, brown sugar, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix. (Your fingers actually work better for mixing the rub than a spoon or whisk does.)
2. Store the rub in an airtight jar away from heat and light; it will keep for at least 6 months.

Recipe from Beer-Can Chicken by Steven Raichlen Copyright © by Steven Raichlen. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Workman Publishing.

BASIC BEER-CAN CHICKEN

Okay, here it is. The master recipe for the ur-beer-can chicken, the showstopper that will dazzle your family and friends. If you've never made beer-can chicken before, start here, and once you've mastered the basic procedure, there's no limit to its variations.

Serves: 2 to 41 can (12 ounces) beer
1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
2 tablespoons All-Purpose Barbecue Rub or your favorite commercial rub
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

You'll Also Need:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or cherry), soaked for 1 hour in water and/or beer to cover, then drained
Vertical chicken roaster (optional)

1. Pop the tab off the beer can. Pour half of the beer (3/4cup) over the soaking wood chips or chunks, or reserve for another use. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Set the can of beer aside.

2. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of rub inside the body cavity and 1/2 teaspoon inside the neck cavity of the chicken. Drizzle the oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with 1 tablespoon of rub and rub it all over the skin. Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of rub into the beer through a hole in the top of the can. Don't worry if the beer foams up: This is normal.

3. If cooking on a can: Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.

If cooking on a roaster: fill it with the beer mixture and position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer's instructions.

4. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken's back.

5. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.

6. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.

7. If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.

If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it's still on the vertical roaster.

8. Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off its support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve.

Recipe from Beer-Can Chicken by Steven Raichlen Copyright © by Steven Raichlen. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Workman Publishing.

GRILLED SUGAR-DIPPED PINEAPPLE

Americans don't customarily grill fruit, but elsewhere in the world--especially in Southeast Asia--bananas and other fruits are often charred over glowing coals for dessert. Pineapples taste particularly good grilled, the charred flavor meshing nicely with the caramelized sweetness of the fruit. When buying pineapple, go for the gold: look for fruit with a golden rind. It will be juicier and sweeter than the usual green-rind pineapples.

Serves 8 to 10

1 ripe pineapple
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup dark rum, for flambeing (optional)

1. Preheat the grill to high.

2. Cut the leafy top off the pineapple, then cut off the rind. Slice the fruit into 8 or 10 even rounds. Using a pineapple corer or paring knife, remove the core from each round.

3. When ready to cook, place the melted butter in a shallow bowl; combine the sugar, lime zest, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Bring both bowls to grillside. Oil the grill grate. Dip each slice of pineapple first in melted butter, then in the sugar mixture, shaking off excess. Arrange the pineapple slices on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until browned and sizzling, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer the pineapple slices to plates or a platter, arranging the slices in an overlapping fashion.

4. If using rum, warm it in a small flameproof saucepan on one side of the grill; do not let it boil or even become hot. Remove from the heat and then, making sure your sleeves are rolled up and hair is tied back, light a long match and use it to ignite the rum, averting your face as you do so. Very carefully pour the flaming rum over the pineapple and serve immediately.

Recipe from BBQ USA by Steven Raichlen Copyright © by Steven Raichlen. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Workman Publishing.

PLANKED SALMON WITH MUSTARD AND DILL SAUCE

For most people, the hardest thing about grilling fish is keeping it from sticking to the grate. The second hardest thing is turning fillets without breaking them. Pacific Northwesterners have devised an ingenious solution to these problems--one that adds flavor and theatrics. They grill fish on cedar planks. Planks prevent sticking--heck, you don't even turn the fish--and they impart a haunting spicy flavor that utterly transforms salmon. I've kept the seasonings simple, just a glaze of mustard, dill, and mayonnaise, so you can experience the cedary aromas in the fish.

Method: Grilling on a plank
Serves: 4

For the salmon:
1 salmon fillet, with or without skin (about 1 1/2 pounds, ideally cut from the end closest to the head)
About 1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

For the glaze:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (preferably Hellmann's)
1/3 cup Meaux (grainy French) mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

You'll also need:
1 cedar plank (about 6 by 12 inches), soaked for 2 hours in water to cover (a rimmed baking sheet or large roasting pan works well for soaking), then drained (see NOTE)

1. Run your fingers over the salmon fillet, feeling for bones. Using needle-nose pliers or tweezers, pull out any you find. Rinse the salmon under cold water, then blot dry with paper towels. If using salmon with skin, generously brush the skin with olive oil. If using skinless salmon, brush one side of the fish with olive oil. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the salmon on the plank, skin side down, if it has one; oiled side down if not.

2. Make the glaze: Place the mayonnaise, mustard, dill, and lemon zest in a nonreactive mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-high.

4. When ready to cook, spread the glaze mixture evenly over the top and sides of the salmon. Place the salmon on its plank in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat, and cover the grill. Cook the salmon until cooked through and the glaze is a deep golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer through the side of the salmon: The internal temperature should be about 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another test is to insert a slender metal skewer in the side of the fillet for 20 seconds; it should come out very hot to the touch. Transfer the plank and fish to a heatproof platter and slice the fish crosswise into serving portions. Serve the salmon right off the plank.

NOTE: Cedar planks are available at grill and cookware shops. If you purchase them from a lumberyard or hardware store, make sure they are untreated.

Recipe from The Barbecue! Bible by Steven Raichlen Copyright © by Steven Raichlen. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Workman Publishing.